Geographic Information Systems

The Henrico County GIS Office was established in 1997 and serves to coordinate and support the use of geospatial technology within the County. The County's GIS office provides the necessary hardware, software, databases, applications, and personnel to support the County's geographic information management and analysis.

The GIS Office is involved in geospatial data development, maintenance and analysis from individual to enterprise wide projects. The use of GIS within Henrico County has grown to become an integral part of workflow policies and procedures. This geocentric approach lends itself to a more holistic, efficient and integrative approach to project management.

GIS information is also important for public consumption and is available to serve the needs of our citizens. Users can request GIS data, view GIS data online in the County's Parcel Viewer, view and request hardcopy maps.

What is GIS?

A Geographic Information System (GIS) allows users to visualize multiple layers of geographic data in order to reveal relationships, patterns, and trends. GIS integrates hardware, software, and data to capture and present geographic information.

GIS can be utilized to quickly map, analyze, and answer real-world questions, taking practices from the fields of cartography, statistical analysis, and geospatial science. It stores information in multiple layers, each layer pertaining to a certain type of data.

“In the strictest sense, a GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information, i.e. data identified according to their locations. Practitioners also regard the total GIS as including operating personnel and the data that go into the system.” – USGS